Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Government welcomes passage of Housing (Amendment) Bill 2025
The series of measures includes: (i) introducing new offences of serious tenancy abuse of public rental housing (PRH) flats; (ii) empowering authorised officers to demand personal details from suspects; and (iii) extending the limitation of time for prosecution of offences of false statements, refusal to furnish information and unlawful alienations. Meanwhile, the Amendment Ordinance also empowers the Director of Housing to specify the forms for fixed penalty notice and demand notice to enhance the efficiency and flexibility of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) in combating unauthorised use of roads within housing estates.
The Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, said, ”Public housing is a precious social resource that must be allocated to those in genuine need and utilised in a reasonable manner. The series of measures to be implemented under the Amendment Ordinance reflects the Government’s determination to combat abuse of PRH flats. The HA will continue to enhance its policies to ensure that public housing resources are focused on helping those in greatest need.”
The legislation as passed will be gazetted on June 20. The amendment empowering the Director of Housing to specify the forms of notices will come into operation upon gazettal. The other three new measures will take effect from March 31, 2026, onwards.
The HA will step up publicity efforts to ensure that PRH tenants and members of the public understand the contents of the new package of measures in combating PRH abuse.
Issued at HKT 19:36
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Christopher Hui concludes UK visit
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui today proceeded to Oslo, Norway, after concluding a visit to the UK, where he showcased Hong Kong’s determination to expand international financial co-operation.
Addressing a lunch event hosted by the UK’s Hong Kong Association yesterday, Mr Hui said Hong Kong’s vibrant capital markets offer global investors, including those from the UK, a gateway and access to invest in Asia’s burgeoning tech sector.
He highlighted that the strengths of Hong Kong’s capital markets are supported by geopolitical developments and the Mainland’s technological advancements, and urged global investors to leverage the city’s deep market liquidity and robust regulatory framework.
Mr Hui also remarked that Hong Kong’s integration into the London Metal Exchange’s global warehouse network in January this year not only enhances Hong Kong’s commodities infrastructure but also creates significant opportunities for UK firms.
Riding on its proximity to Asia’s industrial markets, Hong Kong can partner with the UK to jointly tap growing demand for new-energy metals and support global industrial transformation and sustainable development, he added.
Mr Hui also held a roundtable meeting yesterday with members of TheCityUK, a body representing the UK’s financial and related professional services industries, and witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on establishing a partnership between it and the Financial Services Development Council (FSDC).
He was joined in doing so by TheCityUK’s Leadership Council Chair Bruce Carnegie-Brown.
The MOU was signed by FSDC Executive Director King Au and TheCityUK’s Managing Director of Public Affairs, Policy & Research John Godfrey.
Mr Hui said the MOU reflects a shared vision to harness the strengths of Hong Kong and the UK, creating opportunities that benefit both places and the global financial ecosystem.
Earlier in the day, Mr Hui held a bilateral meeting with City of London Lord Mayor Alderman Alastair King, and briefed him on developments in Hong Kong’s financial services sector.
Mr Hui also met PwC UK Chief Markets Officer Carl Sizer to discuss the role the auditing and accounting profession can play in helping Mainland enterprises go global.
On Monday morning, Mr Hui attended a briefing session hosted by British independent think-tank Asia House, and spoke to its members about the latest financial developments in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area at large.
He also responded to questions about Hong Kong’s financial outlook in a Q&A session moderated by Asia House Chief Executive Michael Lawrence.
His other engagements on Monday included a meeting with senior management from ICBC Standard Bank, and another with Economic Secretary to the UK Treasury Emma Reynolds and other financial officials.
He briefed the bank’s Chief Executive Officer Wang Wenbin and other senior executives about the international gold trading market and commodity trading ecosystem that Hong Kong is developing.
At the meeting with the UK officials, Mr Hui reaffirmed the financial partnership between the Hong Kong and London, as two leading international financial centres, and gave an update on the situation in Hong Kong’s capital markets.
In addition, Mr Hui paid a courtesy call on Minister of the Chinese Embassy in the UK Wang Qi.
LCQ21: Safeguarding mental health of academic staff members and students
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ21: Safeguarding mental health of academic staff members and students
Question:
The mental health of academic staff members and students in Hong Kong draws societal concern. There are views that the Government should strengthen the protection of their physical and mental health as well as to provide appropriate support services to the families of suicide victims concerned. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the respective numbers of academic staff members and students committing suicide and attempting to commit suicide in each of the past five years and, among them, the numbers of cases in which death inquests were held, together with a breakdown by types of school (i.e. (i) primary school, (ii) secondary school and (iii) university);
(2) of the Government’s follow-up and support procedures in respect of cases of suicide attempts among academic staff members and students, including the policy bureaux involved, the category of professionals providing support services in those cases and the areas and extent of intervention, as well as details of the support services provided by them; and
(3) in respect of the suicide cases mentioned in (1), whether the Government has provided support services (e.g. professional emotional counselling services) to the families, relatives and friends of the suicide victims; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; primarily which government departments’ staff members to provide assistance to the families of suicide victims and inform them of their rights under the law (including the rights of the families to request for holding a death inquest)?
Reply:
President,
The Education Bureau (EDB) attaches great importance to the mental health of teachers and students, and has all along been encouraging schools to adopt the Whole School Approach. Through cross-departmental, cross-disciplinary and cross-sector collaboration, the EDB enhances the mental health of teachers and students and provides enhanced support for students with mental health needs (including those with suicidal risk) via various measures and activities directed at three levels, namely Universal, Selective and Indicated. In recent years, the EDB has implemented a number of measures to support students’ mental health. This includes implementing the “4Rs Mental Health Charter” in the 2024/25 school year, with a view to helping students develop healthy living habits and positive interpersonal relationships, and enhancing their resilience. In addition, starting from the 2023/24 school year, the EDB has launched the Mental Health Literacy Resource Packages suitable for students at different learning stages. In consultation with the Social Welfare Department (SWD), our reply to the question raised by the Hon Lillian Kwok is as follows:
(1) and (2) The EDB has all along required primary and secondary schools to report fatal suspected student suicide cases. The numbers of relevant cases in primary and secondary schools in the past five years (2020 to 2024) are tabulated as follows. Of the cases reported, secondary students accounted for about 91 per cent of the total cases, while primary students accounted for about 9 per cent.
| Year The EDB does not collect data on fatal suspected suicide cases of school personnel, attempted suicides of students, relevant cases of university students and number of death inquests held. We continue to strengthen the identification of and support for students with mental health risks. For example, the EDB organises about 40 additional thematic teacher training workshops in the 2024/25 school year to introduce the practical skills, counselling techniques and intervention strategies in supporting students with mental health needs, as well as organises parent education talk series for parents of primary and secondary school students that cover topics related to the mental health of children. Regarding support measures, if schools suspect the students having suicidal risk, schools will arrange school guidance personnel (for example, student guidance teacher/student guidance personnel or school social worker) for early support. If necessary, schools will solicit professional support from the school-based educational psychologists, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, medical, or police officers to ensure that appropriate intervention measures will be taken. To enhance cross-sector collaboration, starting from December 2023, the Government has implemented the Three-tier School-based Emergency Mechanism in all secondary schools in Hong Kong by pooling together the schools’ multi-disciplinary teams, the off-campus support network and medical services. The implementation of the Mechanism has been extended till the end of 2025 and related arrangements were enhanced. Furthermore, the Government established a cross-departmental referral and collaboration mechanism in April 2024. For instance, when police officers handle attempted suicide cases concerning primary and secondary students that happen outside schools, the Police will, upon obtaining the consent from the student concerned and the parent/guardian, refer the case to the school the student is attending, via the EDB, for support services. If the student and parent/guardian wish to receive support services from other organisation(s), the SWD will refer the case for services provided by other social services units, such as Integrated Family Service Centres (IFSCs), Integrated Community Centres for Mental Wellness, and Integrated Children and Youth Services Centres. Schools or relevant social welfare organisations will provide students with emergency intervention services, such as assessments, support and counselling through individual, group or online mode. Regarding support for teachers’ physical and psychological well-being, the EDB has set up the Teachers’ Helpline since 2006 to support teachers in coping with stress at work and mental health problems. Apart from this, professional counselling services and face-to-face counselling will be provided as and when necessary, and professionals will be arranged to follow up relevant cases. Meanwhile, the service providers will organise talks on how to relieve stress for teachers. In addition, starting from the 2023/24 school year, the EDB has commissioned non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or tertiary institutions to organise courses on physical and mental health for teachers every year, covering topics on mental health, expressive arts, mindfulness and physical health, to enhance teachers’ capacity at work. (3) The SWD subvents The Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong to operate the Suicide Crisis Intervention Centre (SCIC), which offers immediate crisis intervention and in-depth counselling services for persons in need. The SCIC also renders support services to persons affected by suicidal behaviours (including familes and friends), including consultation hotline, groups, talks and workshops. Moreover, 67 territory-wide IFSCs (including two Integrated Service Centres), operated by the SWD or subvented NGOs also provide appropriate service and assistance for the families and relatives of suicide victims, including financial assistance, counselling service, and connection with community resources. Issued at HKT 18:56 NNNN Departure tax exemptions addedSource: Hong Kong Information Services The scope of passengers exempted from paying the air passenger departure tax (APDT) will be expanded from October 1 under amendments to the Air Passenger Departure Tax Ordinance, the Government announced today. The ordinance currently allows certain classes of passengers to be exempted from the APDT, including children aged under 12, direct transit or connecting flight passengers, passengers arriving at and depart from Hong Kong by aircraft on the same day, and passengers arriving at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) by vehicle via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge or by ship and subsequently depart by aircraft while remaining within the restricted area at all times before departure. The exemption scope will be expanded to include passengers arriving at HKIA by aircraft and departing from the airport by aircraft on the arrival day or on the following day, which is a maximum of 48 hours. Passengers arriving in Hong Kong through immigration controls by means other than by aircraft and departing from HKIA by aircraft on the arrival day or on the following day, which is a maximum of 48 hours, will also be included for the APDT exemption. An exclusionary provision will be incorporated into the amendment order to prevent people from making a brief return trip between Hong Kong and the Mainland or Macau deliberately to be eligible for the exemption. The Budget announced an APDT increase from $120 to $200 per passenger. Noting that while the increase will only have a minimal impact on air passengers as it constitutes a very small portion of the overall travelling cost of the public and tourists, the Government said that having considered the stakeholders’ view, new exemptions were made to enhance the competitiveness of the airport. The two new exemptions will take effect on October 1, together with the new tax rate of the APDT. Passengers arriving in Hong Kong on or after that day and meeting the criteria will be exempted. Based on air passenger traffic statistics in 2024, the two exemptions could benefit about 830,000 air transfer passengers and about 2.5 million intermodal transfer passengers annually, leading to a potential revenue foregone of about $670 million per year. The Government said the new exemptions can attract more passengers to use HKIA. As there will be more transfer passengers spending on hotel accommodation and local consumption during their stay, the exemptions are expected to bring about positive economic benefits. The Air Passenger Departure Tax Ordinance (Amendment of Second Schedule) Order 2025 will be published in the Gazette on June 13 and tabled at the Legislative Council on June 18. The Government will engage the Airport Authority to handle refund applications centrally for all eligible passengers. The airport will set up a new e-application platform for passengers to apply for the refund by cash at the airport or by other means such as credit cards and electronic payment platforms. Appointments to Tourism Strategy Committee announcedSource: Hong Kong Government special administrative region Appointments to Tourism Strategy Committee announced The composition of the Committee with effect from June 11 is as follows:Mr Raymond Chow Wai-kam* NNNN LCQ2: Developing Hong Kong into international education hubSource: Hong Kong Government special administrative region LCQ2: Developing Hong Kong into international education hub (3) In general, the boarding services provided by different types of schools are mainly aimed at enriching local students’ learning experiences, and cater for the residential needs of a small number of non-local students. At present, there are a total of 16 publicly-funded and private ordinary primary and secondary schools across the territory, which provide boarding services offering about 3 500 boarding places altogether. If individual schools have needs, and the premises and space allow, they can submit applications to the EDB to provide boarding facilities on a self-financing basis. We will consider the applications based on the actual needs. The facilities and management of boarding schools should comply with the relevant stipulations such as the Education Regulations (Cap. 279A). The accommodation arrangements outside schools should also comply with all relevant laws and requirements. The EDB will closely monitor the residential needs of non-local students, including the boarding facilities provided by different types of schools, and maintain communication with the education sector and relevant government departments to review the related arrangements in a timely manner. NNNN Government urges public to be wary of fraudulent advertisements on Voluntary Health Insurance SchemeSource: Hong Kong Government special administrative region Government urges public to be wary of fraudulent advertisements on Voluntary Health Insurance SchemeIssued at HKT 17:37 NNNN Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao joint maritime search and rescue exercise conducted smoothly (with photos)Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region The Marine Department (MD), in collaboration with the search and rescue (SAR) agencies in Guangdong and Macao as well as several Hong Kong government departments, including the Guangdong Rescue Co-ordination Centre, the Macao Marine and Water Bureau, the Macao Customs, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Government Flying Service, the Fire Services Department and the Civil Aid Service, smoothly conducted a joint maritime SAR exercise in the waters off Ha Mei Wan, Lamma Island, today (June 11). Public urged to strengthen anti-mosquito effortsSource: Hong Kong Government special administrative region ​The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (June 11) announced that the monthly gravidtrap index for Aedes albopictus mosquitoes in May was 8.6 per cent, at Level 2, indicating that the distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes in the survey areas was fairly extensive. Relevant government departments have stepped up mosquito prevention and control actions. In May, among the 64 survey areas, the area gravidtrap index in six areas exceeded the alert level of 20 per cent. The gravidtraps were mostly located in the vicinity of private residential areas, public housing estates, schools, recreational and sports facilities and public places. The FEHD has collaborated with relevant government departments by taking immediate action to strengthen mosquito prevention and control work in the area concerned. Moreover, the monthly density index for Aedes albopictus in May was 1.3, which represented that an average of 1.3 Aedes albopictus adults were found in the Aedes-positive gravidtraps, indicating that the number of adult Aedes albopictus was not abundant in the survey areas. The gravidtrap and density indices for Aedes albopictus in different survey areas as well as information on mosquito prevention and control measures are available on the department website at www.fehd.gov.hk. A spokesman for the FEHD said, “There is a significant relationship between local mosquito infestation and seasonal changes. The gravidtrap indices in various survey areas would be relatively higher during hot and rainy spring and summer months (i.e. from May to September) as mosquitoes breed quickly. Members of the public are reminded to continue the routine mosquito prevention and control work, especially the repair and maintenance of structures. Cracks and dents that may accumulate water and become potential breeding grounds should be filled and levelled to reduce the chance of mosquito breeding.” “The Government is concerned about the mosquito infestation in May. The increase in the monthly gravidtrap index for Aedes albopictus for May might be related to the continuously hot and rainy days in the month. The FEHD has continued to intensify the mosquito prevention and control work with relevant government departments in areas under their purview, including eliminating mosquito breeding places, applying larvicides, conducting fogging operations to eradicate adult mosquitoes, and placing mosquito trapping devices at suitable locations. The FEHD has also conducted site inspections with relevant departments, and provided them with professional advice and technical support to assist them in formulating and implementing effective anti-mosquito measures swiftly. At the same time, the FEHD has strengthened publicity and education. The FEHD will continue to monitor the mosquito infestation in all districts, and will conduct prompt and effective mosquito prevention and control work,” the spokesman continued. The FEHD will conduct a three-phase Anti-mosquito Campaign this year. The second phase of the territory-wide campaign was launched on April 14 and will run until June 13. During the period, the district offices of the FEHD will target areas that have drawn particular concern, such as public markets, cooked food centres and hawker bazaars, single-block buildings, streets and back lanes, common parts of buildings, village houses, construction sites, vacant sites and road works sites, to remove accumulated water and carry out mosquito prevention and control work. To further enhance the effectiveness of mosquito control, the FEHD and relevant government departments have carried out phase two of the All-out Anti-mosquito Operations from May 7. In addition to the work of phase one, including eliminating potential mosquito breeding places, the FEHD called on property management entities to arrange for necessary repairs to their premises to minimise mosquito breeding places and commence adult mosquito control measures by means of regular ultra-low volume fogging operations. The FEHD appeals to members of the public to continue to stay alert and work together to carry out mosquito prevention and control measures early, including inspecting their homes and surroundings to remove potential breeding grounds, changing water in vases and scrubbing their inner surfaces, removing water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week, properly disposing of containers such as soft drink cans and lunch boxes, and drilling large holes in unused tyres. The FEHD also advises members of the public and estate management bodies to keep drains free of blockage and level all defective ground surfaces to prevent the accumulation of water. They should also scrub all drains and surface sewers with an alkaline detergent at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs. Aedes albopictus is a kind of mosquito that can transmit dengue fever (DF). DF is commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, and has become endemic in many countries in Southeast Asia. In 2024, the World Health Organization recorded over 14 million DF cases, which was a record number. The dengue activity in neighbouring areas has remained high. Members of the public should stay vigilant and continue to carry out effective mosquito prevention and control measures. Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected cocaine worth about $1 million (with photo)Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region Hong Kong Customs yesterday (June 10) seized about 1.3 kilograms of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $1 million in Hung Hom. A 33-year-old man suspected to be connected with the case was arrested. During an anti-narcotics operation conducted in Hung Hom yesterday afternoon, Customs officers intercepted a suspicious man and seized about 1.3kg of suspected cocaine inside a rucksack carried by him. The man was subsequently arrested. Customs officers later escorted him to a residential premises nearby for a search and further seized a batch of suspected drug packaging paraphernalia. The arrestee has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug and will appear at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (June 12). Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment. Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002). |